Wesley Ray Thomas, Dramatic Baritone, was born in Lawton, Oklahoma on December 21st, 1967. He begin singing solos in The Baptist Church when he was five years old. He was also singing solos in School productions at Westbrook Elementary School starting at age 6.
As a 13 year old, he was in an AP English class called "Search" at Highland Park Junior High School in St. Paul, MN & they took a field trip to Minneapolis to see Bizet's "Carmen". It was a seminal moment in his life, & he fell in love with Opera.
At 15 he begin working as a soloist in "recording studio" at St. Paul Central High School, & singing contemporary Pop, Rock, Heavy Metal, Jazz & Blues. He also started doing Musical Theatre, as Benny Southstreet in "Guys & Dolls", Soloist in "Peace Child", & as Perchick the Marxist radical in "Fiddler on The Roof".
At 17 Wesley won a full scholarship to The Children's Theatre Company Conservatory in Minneapolis. His family relocated to Minneapolis in order for him to pursue his performing career. At CTC he studied Ballet, Acting, Acting for Singers, Improvisation, & Voice. Wesley also performed in The Christmas production at CTC where he performed 9 shows a week for 5 weeks in the professional Theatre. He was accepted into the Visual & Performing Arts magnet program at North Community High School, & was The Mikado in "The Mikado" (for which he painted his own kimono, using traditional seaweed based dyes) that spring. Wesley's guidance counselor had not received his transcripts from St. Paul Central High School in time to tell him what he needed to take his final trimester, & as a result he was available to sing Sarastro in The All City Opera (Mozart's "The Magic Flute" )the following year. After a couple of years working & saving money, he applied to The Boston Conservatory.
At Boston Conservatory ( Where he was also a scholarship recipient ) Wesley begin study with Elisabeth Phinney, His voice teacher to this day. After 5 months of Voice lessons, Mrs. Phinney suggested that Wesley go to Harvard to audition for the Gilbert & Sullivan Society, who were doing Ruddigore that year. While at the Ruddigore audition, he saw a sign about auditions for Lowell House Opera's production of Alban Berg's "Lulu". He went to the audition, never having heard of the Opera & having no idea what he was getting himself into. Wesley turned down the offer of Sir Roderick in "Ruddigore" & took the part of Dr. Schoen in "Lulu". After waxing on about the wonderful Lulu (Maria Tegzes) Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe said "Only the excellent Schigolch (J. David Cope) & Dr. Schoen (the lurid Wesley Ray Thomas) had any business trying to sing at all."
The Next year Wesley sang the role of James in "The Gift of The Magi" Lowell House's Christmas production, & the role of David in "A Hand of Bridge" with The Winthrop Playmakers. That year Wesley also started his 10 year stint as Bass/Baritone Soloist/Section Leader at The First Baptist Church in Arlington, MA.
As a junior at the Conservatory, he sang the title role in Offenbach's "A Musical Evening at Monsieur Choufleuri's". The Next year it was Schicchi in "Gianni Schicchi" which was conducted by Michael Strauss, Wesley's vocal coach to this day.
That year he also sang in the New England Regional Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions, & was chosen to sing in the Winner's Recital at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Wesley Ray Thomas is known by many for his public spaces performances as "The Opera Guy" Which began the Summer of 1990 in Harvard Square. He has performed in public spaces in Cambridge & Boston, Minneapolis & with Music Under New York in New York City, as well as at South Ferry Terminal & in Central Park.
Over the next few years Wesley was a soloist with The Boston Conservatory Opera program. (Superintendent Budd in "Albert Herring" & The Maestro in Donizetti's "Viva la Mama".) He also was a soloist with "A Cast of Characters" (a World Music Improv group), Erubini Armenian Chorus, & The Nigun Chamber Ensemble (A Classical/Klezmer group)
After seeing a performance of "Cast of Characters" The Boston Globe said:
" "Ghost Dance" (the Native American improvisation) featured a tireless & astoundingly resonant baritone named Wesley Thomas. "
In 1998 Wesley begin singing with the Boston Lyric Opera, for which he has covered the roles of Amonasro in "Aiida" & Horemhab in "Akhnaten" as well as singing smaller roles & Chorus. He has also been a soloist with The Ocean State Lyric Opera Operatunity program in Rhode Island. From 2000-2003 Wesley debuted several new roles for members of the New Opera & Music Theatre Initiative Headed up by Michael Whartovsky at Berklee College of Music. 2000 to 2004 also saw him in the role of "Oprario" at King Richard's Faire in Carver, MA singing acapella personal serenades.
In recent years Wesley has also been further exploring the sacred music of his ancestral Tsalagi (Cherokee) heritage, as well as singing with the Lakota powwow drum "East Coast Brotherhood".
In November of 2006 Wesley sang Ford in Verdi's "Falstaff" with Longwood Opera. The summer of 2007 & 2008 has seen him performing in public spaces & restaurants in Boston's Historic North End. In April 2008 he performed in a mixed media production "User Name: Faust"; directed by Charlie Miller at Harvard University. In this he is playing Lucifer, & singing arias & songs from different Faustian Operas & Musicals. To see videos from this production, go to www.youtube.com & type in "username:faust". He reprised the role of Ford, this time in Italian, with Amici Opera in Lansdale, PA (outside Philadelphia) on November 9th, 2008. He recently sang the role of Jago in Verdi's Otello with Lowell House Opera at Harvard University in March of '09. In May of '09 Mr. Thomas performed the role of Chucky/Adam in "Jerry Springer-The Opera" with Speakeasy Stage Company in Boston. TalkinBroadway.com said of his performance: "Wesley Ray Thomas, with biker length hair & a fantastic operatic sound brought both Chucky & Adam to life."
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To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect
What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.
Happy Holidays my dear friend. May you have love that never ends, lots of money and lots of friends. Health be yours, whatever you do and may God send many blessings to you. XOXOXOXO
"I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance; to live so that which came to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which came to me as blossom, goes on as fruit. ~~~ Dawna Markova
O Great Spirit, whose Voice I hear in the Winds, Hear me -- for I am small and weak: I need Your Strength and Wisdom. I seek Strength, O Great One, not to be superior to my Brothers -- But to conquer my greatest enemy: Myself. I seek Wisdom: the Lessons You have hidden In every Leaf and Rock so that I may learn And carry these messages of Life and Hope to my People. May my hands respect the many beautiful things You have made; May my ears be sharp - to hear Your voice. May I always walk in Your beauty; And let my eyes behold the red and purple Sunset So that when Life fades with the setting Sun, My Spirit will come to You without shame.
HAPPY NEW YEAR MY DEAR DEAR FRIEND!!!! 2008 WILL BE FULL OF JOY, LOVE, PEACE AND ABUNDANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!"
PLEASE FORGIVE ME. I HAVE REALIZED RECENTLY THAT I STILL DO NOT GIVE AS MUCH AS I CAN AND THAT I SOMETIMES DO IT FOR THE WRONG REASONS. I'M SO SORRY IF I DID NOT GIVE YOU AS MUCH LOVE AS YOU DESERVE AND KNOW THAT IS NOT YOU BUT ONLY THE STRUGGLES I HAVE WITH MY EGO THAT KEEP ME FROM LETTING YOU KNOW WHAT A GLORIOUS ANGEL YOU ARE!!! ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD!!!!!! ~~~ SHAUN MARIE
Dear God, I give you this morning. Please take away My despair of yesterday. Help me to forgive the things That caused me pain And would keep me bound. Help me to begin again. Please bless my path And illumine my mind. I surrender to You The day ahead. Please bless every person And situation I will encounter. Make me who You would have me be, That I might do as You would have me do. Please enter my heart And remove all anger, Fear and pain. Renew my soul And free my spirit. Thank you, God, For this day. Amen.
